Trump haters immediately fell for the Department of Justice’s media spin over Donald Trump’s seized passports before the former president’s team proved it false.
On Monday, former President Trump claimed on his social media site TruthSocial that the FBI “stole” his passports during the raid on his home that shook the political world last week.
“In the raid by the FBI of Mar-a-Lago, they stole my three Passports (one expired), along with everything else,” he said. “This is an assault on a political opponent at a level never seen before in our Country. Third World!”
Hours later, Norah O’Donnell of CBS News said that a DOJ official told that the former president’s passports were not in their possession, one of which presumably would have been a diplomatic passport.
“According to a DOJ official, the FBI is NOT in possession of former President Trump’s passports. Trump had accused the FBI of stealing his three passports during the search of his Mar-a-Lago home,” O’Donnell announced on Monday.
NEW: According to a DOJ official, the FBI is NOT in possession of former President Trump’s passports. Trump had accused the FBI of stealing his three passports during the search of his Mar-a-Lago home.
— Norah O’Donnell 🇺🇸 (@NorahODonnell) August 15, 2022
Shortly after Norah’s post, Taylor Budowich, the former president’s communications director, shared an email from Jay Bratt, the top counterintelligence official in the Justice Department’s national security division, confirming that three passports were seized in the raid and that they would be returned to the former president soon.
“We have learned that the filter agents seized three passports belonging to President Trump, two expired and one being his active diplomatic passport. We are returning them, and they will be ready for pick up at WFO at 2 PM today,” the email to Trump’s attorneys read.
Prior to the debunked claim that Norah O’Donnell immediately amended, some of the former president’s biggest haters pounced, claiming that he either lied or that his passports were rightfully seized.
Trump lied. Again. https://t.co/xBjdj1qrVi
— Joe Walsh (@WalshFreedom) August 15, 2022
Lies lies lies and more lies. https://t.co/meJ7uQHF5b
— Adam Kinzinger🇺🇺🇸✌️ (@AdamKinzinger) August 16, 2022
It’s remarkable that even at this late date, there are people who react to uncorroborated Trump claims as if true. https://t.co/I5bqs9jBTe
— David Frum (@davidfrum) August 16, 2022
I like the idea of Trump just misplacing his passport and deciding to blame the FBI. https://t.co/jQYrfE7pnQ
— Nathaniel Rakich (@baseballot) August 16, 2022
Trump lied. I’m shocked. https://t.co/RGr40btgbs
— Charlie Sykes (@SykesCharlie) August 15, 2022
Ummmm…so where are they? https://t.co/hMpzpwV0oY
— Katie S. Phang (@KatiePhang) August 15, 2022
OMG this guy https://t.co/gE0e4jDV5P
— Diedrich Bader (@bader_diedrich) August 15, 2022
Another red herring, trying to reroute our attention. Maybe he didn’t want folks to think about his accountant today or his lawyer. Or maybe he just likes the attention on him. Or maybe he just likes trolling the news. Or maybe he just doesn’t know where his passports are. 😂 https://t.co/TegFnxzyDb
— Jennifer Mercieca (@jenmercieca) August 15, 2022
This man had the nuclear codes.
He’s basically me rifling through my purse on the way back from dinner 3 miles from the restaurant : “I left my phone in the restaurant. Let’s go back.”
Husband: “You sure?”
Me: “Yes. It’s not here.”
A block from the restaurant: “here it is.” https://t.co/tTVkT0UuPz— Sherrilyn Ifill (@SIfill_) August 15, 2022
It’s embarrassing how easily Trump still manipulates the media into covering his lies. Just assume everything he says is complete bullsh*t and move on. https://t.co/9ZCSkzixsT
— JackiSchechner (@JackiSchechner) August 15, 2022
When Trump issues a statement, the operating assumption should be that he’s lying to the country
At age 76, this pathological, incorrigible, unrepentant liar will never change https://t.co/wgz6efpNs3
— Lindy Li (@lindyli) August 16, 2022
*Update: it appears Donald Trump was lying about the FBI taking his passports. I know you are shocked: https://t.co/IN0laEdQxC
— Molly Knight (@molly_knight) August 15, 2022
what a baffling thing to lie about https://t.co/wbR1KYZ856
— Jessica Huseman (@JessicaHuseman) August 15, 2022
What? Trump lied?
Say it ain’t so! https://t.co/pStiBkIvz0
— Tea Pain (@TeaPainUSA) August 15, 2022
When your mentally-deteriorating Grandpa misplaces his reading glasses and accuses the housekeeper of stealing them: https://t.co/YWHcIhv23M
— Frank Lesser (@sadmonsters) August 15, 2022
So basically he lost them. https://t.co/058YJoNikF
— Ron Filipkowski 🇺 (@RonFilipkowski) August 15, 2022
Amazing https://t.co/SGkSFgseI5
— Molly Jong-Fast (@MollyJongFast) August 15, 2022
Trump lied. I’m shocked. Shocked, I tell you! I don’t think I’ll ever recover. https://t.co/LeeDmQOPvQ
— Jax Persists (@LadyJayPersists) August 15, 2022
OMG, Trump has LOST the passports !!!!!!!
Hey kid, did you take my passports?@NorahODonnell
According to a DOJ official, the FBI is NOT in possession of former President Trump’s passports. Trump had accused the FBI of stealing his 3 passports during the search of Mar-a-Lago https://t.co/PT7zjKL3KX pic.twitter.com/e9bU9sch1o
— Tomi T Ahonen Now Confiscating His Own Passport (@tomiahonen) August 15, 2022
Definitely don’t like sounding conspiratorial but the oldest KGB tactic was to send messages publicly. Mafia tactic too. And this isn’t the first time trump has made odd statements. https://t.co/LDmdlboWLU
— Olga Lautman 🇺 (@OlgaNYC1211) August 15, 2022
